Autos.

Gas, purchase prices lift yearly cost

The cost of owning a car is more than simply the amount of the payment mailed to the lending institution each month.

In its yearly "Your Driving Costs" study, AAA calculates what it costs to own and operate a vehicle for 10,000 miles of annual driving and five years of ownership before trading it in.

AAA says motorists pay an average of 68.9 cents a mile, or $6,890 a year, for a 2004 model car, up from 64.2 cents a mile, or $6,420 a year, for an '03.

That takes into account gas, oil, maintenance and tires as well as insurance, depreciation, financing charges, license, title, taxes, registration and plates.

The 68.9 cents a mile/$6,890 a year is the national average for all vehicles.

Costs vary depending on the size of the vehicle. AAA says it will cost you:

- 56.8 cents a mile for a compact car such as a Chevrolet Cavalier, up from 55.3 cents a mile for an '03.

That translates into an annual cost of $5,680 to own and operate a compact for '04, up $150 from $5,530 for an '03.

- 71 cents a mile for a midsize car such as a Ford Taurus, up from 62.1 cents for '03. That's $7,100 a year, an $890 increase from $6,210 for an '03.

- 79 cents a mile for a full-size car such as a Mercury Grand Marquis, up from 75.2 cents a mile for a full-size 2003. That's $7,900 for the year, a $380 increase from $7,520 for the '03.

If, like so many others, you've opted for a sport-utility vehicle, the cost per mile for a midsize '04, such as a Chevrolet TrailBlazer, will run 72.7 cents, or $7,270 a year. That's up $730 from $6,540 for an '03.

A full-size SUV wasn't included in the study, but the AAA calculated the cost and found that for an '04 Ford Expedition, it would be 65 cents a mile, or $6,500 a year, which is up from 63 cents a mile or $6,300 yearly for an '03.

The full-size SUV runs less than the midsize because of depreciation, said John Nielsen, director of automotive repair for AAA, based in Heathrow, Fla., near Orlando.

"Full-size SUVs hold their value much better than midsize SUVs," he said.

Those who choose mini-vans will spend 64 cents a mile, or $6,400 a year, to own and operate a Dodge Caravan, for example.

That's a $430 increase from the 59.7 cents a mile and $5,970 a year for an '03.

AAA said actual costs will be a little higher now because the study was conducted when gas was priced at $1.51 a gallon and the current national average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $1.73 Tuesday.

All costs were based on two-wheel-drive, not four-wheel-drive vehicles, which consume more fuel.

And the costs don't take into account tolls and parking fees, two major daily expenses.

Nielsen said higher gas prices (the $1.51 a gallon is up from $1.46 a gallon a year earlier) were only one reason the cost to own and operate a car rose in 2004.

"New vehicle prices were slightly higher for '04, which, in turn, affected financing costs, vehicle insurance, repair and maintenance costs, as well as taxes, title and registration fees," he said.

For full details of the AAA study, visit aaa.com.

Members of the Chicago Motor Club will be able to obtain a copy of the "Your Driving Costs--2004" brochure at any local office in approximately two weeks.

The AAA has conducted a vehicle ownership cost study annually since 1950, when the national average for all vehicles regardless of their size was 9 cents a mile, or $900 a year, and the average price of gasoline was 27 cents a gallon.

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Read Jim Mateja Sunday in Transportation and Wednesday and Friday in Business. Hear him on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:22 p.m. Wednesdays and 11:22 a.m. Sundays.